Gary Barlow to pen Calendar Girls musical

Details of Gary Barlow's latest project were revealed by Yorkshire tourism chiefs

Take That frontman Gary Barlow is to pen a musical based on The Calendar Girls, tourism bosses have revealed.

The singer-songwriter's new project tells the story of 11 members of the Women's Institute in Rylstone, North Yorkshire, who posed nude for a charity calendar in 1999.

Their efforts inspired a hit movie, starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren, and a stage show.

The musical is being backed by tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire.

Gary Verity, chief executive of the organisation, said: "To have someone of Gary Barlow's calibre working on a Yorkshire musical is amazing and I am sure, like the Calendar Girls film and the stage play, this musical will be a huge success."

The original calendar featured the women posing nude behind baked goods and flower arrangements.

It was inspired by the death of Angela Baker's husband, John, from non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1998.

Details of Barlow's new project were revealed by Welcome to Yorkshire as part of a raft of promotional events across the region, including the announcement of the 16 teams taking part in the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

The Tour de Yorkshire will take place from 1 to 3 May.